Apparatus for the manufacture of gas.



W. G. LAIRD. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

APPLICATION FILED EAR. 1I 1909.

7 8HEETB-S'HEET .1.

' Fi i WITNESSES. I x llw flwog 47 By Q1, wwmolmm Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

W. G. LAIRD.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

I I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1, 1909 1,014,654.

'7 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES;

x ifalwlmmvu Patented Jan.16,191. 2.'

W. G. LAIRD. APPARATUS FOR. THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1, 1909:

Patented Jan. 16,1912.

A 'TSHEETEPSHEBTB.

M Z l Bf I D p3 [3 2%- If? -i P 2 P j \Z 3 17 H4 H M II y n u I! 1 95 Q A WITNESSES: v 4 l/VI/E/VTQR I By A W. G. LAIRD APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l, 1909.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHET 4.

INVENTOI? r I X? 4 mod? w. GILAIRD. APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

' APPLICATION FILED MAB. 1, 1909.

Patented Jan. 16; 1912.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

INVENTOR Anon/ms W. G. LAIRD.

APPARATUS 011 THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

APPLICATION FILED M R. 1-. 190's,

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

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APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF GAS.

, APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 1. 1909. I I

- Patented Jan. 16, 191 2.

v L2 SEEETES-SHEET 7.

. I zk 66 mm I x ivy/6 WITNESSES; l/VI/E/VTOR W f BY I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

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pollination of Letters Patent.

Patented- Jan. 16,1912.

'companied byv drawings.

e is invention relates to apparatus for the manufacture of gas from the distillation of crushed coal, sawdust and other materials, or from any suitable liquid hydrocarbon such as oil or tar. Y

-The object of the invention is to improve upon-apparatus for the manufacture of'gas and enable the distillation to be carried on in a continuous manner with the greatest economy.

Accordin to this inventionsome of the.

articles su jected to distillation are heated direct contact with a heated surface and all of them are very uniformly and regularly heated also by contact with a heated gas, and by radiation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2'isa plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 with the feeder, lower connections and a portion of the hopper removed; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional plan view on line 4-4 of Fig. '3; Fig. Bis a vertical sectional view on line 55 ofFig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional plan on line 66 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 2, looking in the direc-' tion' of the arrows; Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional plan view on line 8-8 of Fig. '7 Fig. 9 is a detail plan view showing a modij fied arrangement of gas connections; Fig. 10 is a side elevation of Fig. 9; Fig. 11' is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the feeder for the solid material; Fig. 12 is a vplan view of the discharge gate;-Fig. 13 is a side elevation of Fig. 12; Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a section of the lining of the hopper; Fig. 15 is a sectional side elevation of Fig. 14.

Referring to the drawings, A is the shell, or casing,f having a base plate I" supported by the columnsH, I and M. The shell A is covered by the plate B supporting the feeder F.. Within the shell A is the retort,

cover ,or hood R. B is the heating chamber B terminating at or distilling chamber B, below the feeder F v Application ma 1, 1009. mm 110. 400,014.

and provided at the bottom with a. suitable hopper H, having discharge gates I and doors H, and ofi'take pipe R with a suitable Surrounding the retort its lower 'portion in the combustion chambers K andv communicating at its u per port1on throughthe passages 0' an Cwith the vertically extending heating chambers N and A respectively. The passages O are provided Wltll, dampers Oand'the as I sages C with the dampers C. Secon ary secondary air as required; The passages L dampers and are also connected by the psi-s sages L" with the vertical secondary air flues X,'w.h1ch extend up throughthe ftopplate B andhave dampers X.

P is a pipe around the. lower ortion of theapparatus having an-inlet-at for supplying any suitable -combustible gasthrou h air passages J supply n w. chamber B and have dampers J 2 for the 'controlof the V leading to the combustion chambers: K have 1 the connection R to the ofi'take pipe R.

The oiftake pipe Rvis also connected throu h the fitting'R to the outlet .W, which may e connected to any suitable storage holder or to suitable cleansing and scrubbing apparatus as the case may require. This ofi'take W may also be connected in any suitable manner to the inlet 0 ening Y, connecting with the pipe-P, when it is desired to use the gas distilled to carry on the work of distillation.

The upper ends of the superheaters N are connected by means of the fittings T, the connections Z and valves Z to the fittings U which are connected to the injector fiues A passing through the heating chambers A. Inthe flues A are located the pipes E provided with the nozzles E The injector flues A are provided with the injector throats B opening into the retort B through theopehings B'.' The nozzles E are"el.'-' ranged centrally of the throats "B" and force the gas contents of the injector flues 'A into the retort 'B. These nozzles E1. are controlled by means of handwheels E at the sides of the a paratus, the adjustability of the nozzle ori ce being too common inthis V, the valves V, and the fittings V and V to the fittings S through the openingsV, thus permitting the gases enteringthe ofi'- take pipe R to pass through the openings V and through said fittings and valves-to the injector flues A Without passing through the superheaters N 5.

The heating chambers; N are connected at theirlower ends byFiiiieans of the passages PF, dampered bythe dampers P, to

, the flue D which extends around the apparatus, entering the stack D through the opening D These heating chambers N are also connected at their upper ends through the/passages Oi, damperedby the dampers.

O, to-the flue G extending around the apparatus and connected through the opening D to the stack D In a similar manner the heating chambers A are connected at their lower portion through the passages D, .dampered by the. dampers D to the flue D. Theheating chambers A are also connected at their upper ends through the passages C, dampered bythe dampers C to the flue C, the .flues {O and D being connected, as described with the stack D Entering the heating chambers N are the 1 passages N, suitably-supplied with dampers as f shown at N. The passages E communieating with the heating chamber A are also supplied with suitable dampers. "The pas-. I

sages Y are connected with the. heating chambers A by means ofthe passages Y and are also connected with the flue'D by means of the passages Y dampered by the dampers Y These'passages Y have tubes -10' passing through them permitting the contents of the tubes to be heated to any desired extent before said tubes connect wit the nozzles E and the injector nozzles E the latter being used to assist the. gas in its travel as will be described. The pipes I? enter the hopper Hand are for the purpose of admitting steam which may circu-, late below the gates I and bet-ween the hopper H and its liner H passing through the perforations Iof the gate 1 shown 1n detail in Figs. 12 and 13, and also, the perforations H m the linin 2 further shown' in detail in Figs. 14 an 15; 1

Referring to Fig. 11 which shows a suitable type of feeder, F is a shell or casing having a flange Gr and suitable arms F connecting the shell F to the hub G, which supportsthe apron F". Thehub C car-,

ries a shaped The spindle C is threaded at its upper portion G and hasthreaded collars; L and L The spindle C maybe hollow as shown by" the opening T forthe insertion of a pipe having a suitable nozzle permitting a liq- In order to describe the method of opera- Zpindle C provided with a cone ange F at its lower end and hav mg a feather Gr -engaging' the gear F.

tion of the apparatus, coal will be COIlSid-v ered as the material to be distilled and the apparatus will be assumed u to heat. The

supply of combustible gas or heating the retort B enters the opening Y in the pipe P from any suitable source and is distributed through the valves K and the passages K to the combustion chambers K.

Secondary air is admitted through the J dampers X, thence through the passages X, absorbing in its passage-sufficient heat from the heating chambers N and A to permit ready combustion. The air'enters'the passages-L through the openings L and passes into the combustion chambers K, combining in these chambers with the combustible gas issuing below through the .ducts K The products of combustion complete, or incom- -plete, rise in the heating chamber B and may receive, if necessary, an additional supply of secondary air intheir passage through the passages J having dampers J From the to of the heating chamber B the gases pass t rough the openings 0 and 0,

controlled by the' .dampers O and C? rechambers .N' and A*. From these heating chambers the gases may pass directly to the flue C and thence to the stack D or by adjusting the dampers O, P, C and D any portion or all of the gases may pass to the flue D, whichis also connected to the stack D Furthermore a portion of the gases may pass through the openings Y? into the passages. Y,- and thence downward and "through the passages 'Y controlled by the dampers Y into the flue D. Thus any de-j sired temperature may be obtained inthe retort B, the superheaters N the injector flues A and theducts Y.

. The crushed coal is fed to thehopper F and in a continuous and uniform stream through the adjustable opening Grf-in the retort B near its inner. periphery. This feedis obtained by driving the pulley G, which is connected to'the driving shaft F, the pulley G being loose. Connected to the shaft F is the pinion- F engaging the gear F. Thegear F engages the feather G in the spindle CF, thus driving the cone 139 105 spectively, and thence. into the heating the injector flues A.

a l'. e t elw a er tw the. real be If, wfi li i e .a s ifllu y ki s. through the 'opening fit andfalling into the retort 13.; It oby ous thatthe, coal. an.

ticles "falling within .the. [retort B wil be continually in the tpresence of heat radiated. by the hot .walls 9 the retortuntil thef ar} ticles are deposited, in thehop er H. be

heat s0 applied eifects th e. dIStilIQtiQh OIf carboni zati on of the coal par icle, and the gasfso generated is allowed, o issue from the retort through the oiftake pipe R, x and passes downward 'andfoutthrough the .Qfli

are closed One ofthe objects of this invention is to give an additional, movement to .the. coal particles other than that imparted. by gra ity. In orderto. do this the. yalyes S'may be opened andsuitable gas under ressure supplied ithrough theQpipes s an a pore.

tion..of the gasesfuformed in the retort B thus'inducedto pass up through theisnper;

heaters N 'thence throng theyalyes .Z to g p T 'e' ,gases may be further assistedin this .path by admitting a suitable gas under pressure through the pipes E equipped with suitable, injector the openings t1ps The pipe E" being supplied with a suitable gas under pressure thepgas issuing from the nozzle E? induces .the, gas, enterin eetOr throatsB into the retortB through These injectorthroats 5' are so arranged l that the gases passing, through them wi1l;enter theretorh B tan; gentiall y to itsinner periphery... The se ene ing the injector :flues A to passthrough the tering gases will produce ,a rotary move.

ment of the. fallingdcoa 'l particleamand in fact the entire, contents of the retert is subjected tothe resultant of. two forces, namely:

gravity, and. the velocity of vthe entering gases, which gives a spiral movement to the coal particles, thus greatly increasing the lengths of the, paths.,of...travel over that which would be' produced were they. acted upon by gravity alone.

As the entering gases are preheated, the carbonizationof the coal particles is materially assisted and moying as they do on the interior surface of the heatedretort these gases rapidlyabsorb the heattfrom the retort surface and supply it to the particles to be carbonized. The .en-

tire retort contents are kept at .a practically uniform, temperature through the churning efi'ect produced by, theseQta'Iigentially di'-' rected streams of entering gasesa The whirling motion produced,,results m a certain concentrating effect on the coalparticle; the heavier the. coal particle the greater the centrifugal force. produced and the closerit will travel to the heatedsurface of the retort. This c'oncentratin effect is very desirable inasmuch as the vdlstilthe same..,..

below; the meter-b. and are. remoyed. cally by opening the doors,

' gasthrongh .the. diseaseciation of the'stearn into, .its hydrogen. an

As. ,1s welliknown n of excessive heatto form other, combinations with a less commercial value Therefore,

ing through thei superheaterstNh This may openin the yalyes The gasmay then. .pass. t rough ,the. cenne :tio-ns. lR and. S through the openings 3 V through the fitv tings, V and. V, thence up. throughthe rect-ly into the .inj ector finesv A from .whence they areginjeeted as-previously described,

generate within .the retort-B, or ,Where. it-

some of ,thei r. valuable constituents, t the form of connectionsshown-iin Figs... 9 and- 10 may. be used.,. 1th this form. of con;

R may. be" ,alloyved ,to issue through the 0 takeopeningfl, the yalves M? being closed.

troduceinto the retort B may, enter. through the opening T from anysource. and are passed through. the open valves.v M and through. the superheaters. N thence down through the injector flues A Whenit is great. extent ,thevalves .M' may be closed and the yalyesM ,opened, in which case the gases entering the opening T may pass di rectly through the valves M and enter the injector flues A Without previous preheatgases generatedwithin the retortB andthegases entering-the inlet-T.

When is desirable to add an enriching agent to thegases. generated Within the regas. is manufactured, and it is necessary to enrich the gas distilled by the additiomof a suitable amount of other gas, any suitable to the retort B by means of an oil pipe and suitable. sprays passed through; the opening The coal partieleshavingvbeen carbonized ed pasite iin h h pp n. i m d e e y.

. r edu Hf an lifting the gates l'. Steam may .be introduce Y through the pipe. I .for,.produc ing. water.

. the manufacture of gas,. certain gasesbreak up .in the presence is .adyisaj le .to first. denude these gases of.

not desired. to preheat these gases to any ing- A partial opening of the valves M -wil l produce any desired'.mixture of the tort, such as. is oftenthe case .where coal liquid hydrocarbon may be, admitted directly t. lation of gas is substantiallya questienipfa a rlwaeeem e he n lt n mains.

e oxygenelernents, the I oxyge 11 .,combin1ng w th the carbon of the depos ted particle in theQform 0f car on,

* Where,.it isnbt desired. to preheat the gases,

-mj ected.. nto,the retort Bto anygreatfem. v;

tent theyvv may be introduced.-v Without pass,.

befione by 'plosing theyalves S, and Z and valyes Y .to the fittings V,; thence through the. openingsU and the fittingsU and di-.

I -.10a The suitable gases which it is desiredijto in- T in the spindle C. In this manner the oil particle, or particle of liquid hydrocarbon, is treated in the same manner as the coal particle. When it is desired. todistil as' from a liquid hydrocarbon alone, the eeder may, ofcourse, be omitted and an 011 ipe with a suitable spray nozzle may be inserted alone, and otherwise the operation is the same as already described.

The apparatus need not contain one retort only as several retorts may be grouped together and either operated independently or in unison. The method of feed is also f capable of variation, as the material may be admitted in a continuous stream-near the inner peri hery of the retort wall as shown by the rawlng, or it may be admitted in one place. It may also be admitted with one or more of the entering streams of injected gases. The method of introducing the gases to the retort is also capable of variations, as a fan or suitable blower may be used instead of the injectors shown, in

which case all of the induced gases would be placed under a slight pressure and theinjector shown would not be necessary.

It vwill be observed that the ofiftake pipe R is preferably arranged substantially on the central axis of the retort B, so that gas may be taken off from the center ratherthan the sides where the articles are concentrated. The offtake p1pe R ma be of any desired length. I The introduce gases may be directed horizontally into the retort as shown, or they may be directed at any desiredangle with the horizontal.

This application being directed to apparatus, and the process being a divisible invention, the process is not the subject hereof, but of my separate application for Let gentially arranged nozzles throughout the height of the retort for subjecting the material in the retort to a whirling action. 3. In apparatus for the manufacture of as, the combination of a vertically arranged 'eated retort, means for externally heating it, means for passin material downwardly through said retortgravity and tangentially arranged nozzles for'subjecting the material to a whirling action as it falls.

4. In apparatus for the manufacture of nor-ates as, the combination of a vertically arranged eated retort, a surrounding heating chamber therefor, feeding a paratus at the top 5. In apparatusfor the manufacture of gas, the combination of a vertical retort, means for heating the same, feeding ap aratus at the top of the retort a gas on let and hopper at the lower portion of the retort and means for subjecting the inaterial in the retort to a whirlingaction.

6. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a heated retort, concentrically arranged means for externally heatin it and means for subjecting the material 1n the retort to awhirling action.

'7. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combinationof avertical retort, a heating chamber surrounding the same, combustion chambers communicating with the heating'chamber, secondary heating chambers communicatinglwith said first named heating chamber, and means for subjecting the material in the retort to a whirling action.

' 8. In a p aratus for the manufacture of gas, the com ination of a vertically arranged retort, means for feeding material thereto at the top, a gas outlet at the lower portion of the retort, a heating chamber surrounding said retort, combustion chambers communicat-ing with said heating chamber, secondary heating chambers communicating with said first named heating chamber, superheaters adapted to be heated by said secondary chambers and means for sub'ecting the material in the retort to a whir ing action.

9. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a vertically arranged retort, means for feeding material therethrough b portion 0 t e retort, a heating chamber surrounding said retort, combustion chambers lgravity, a gas outlet at the lower commumcating with said heating chamber,

a plurality ofsecondary heating chambers provided with superheating flues, a plurality of secondary heating chambers provided with injector flues and tangentiall arranged injector nozzles for causing a w irling action of the'material in the retort as it falls by gravity. v

10. In ap aratus for the manufacture of gas, the com mation of a vertically arranged retort, means for heating the same, secondary heating chambers, superheating fluestherein, means for introduclng a portion of the gases formed in the retort into said superheating flues and means for causing a whirling action of the material in the retort.

11. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a heated retort, means for feeding material to said retort a whirling motion transverse to its progress.

13. In apparatus for the manufacture of .gas, the combination of a vertical retort,

means for heating the retort, means for feeding material to the retort, a gas outlet located substantially on the vertical axis'of the retort, and means for giving the material in the retort a whirling action. a

14. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a retort, means for externally heating it, means for feeding material in a substantially continuous stream in said retort, and means for injecting gases transversely to said stream and thereby con- .trolling the path ofv travel and imparting a whirling motion to the material while in transit.

15. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a retort of circular cross section, means for externally heating theretort, means for feeding material to the retort and means for subjecting the material after it enters the retort to a whirling action, thereby securin reater uniformity through the centrifuga orce.

16. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combinationof a retort, means for eating the retort, means for feeding material to the retort, means for causing a whirlin motion of the material in the retort, and a gas outlet located at substantially the axis of the vortex of the whirling particles'.

17. In apparatus for the manufacture of gas, the combination of a retort having means for heating it externally, means for feeding a continuous stream of finely divided material to be treated, and means for introducing a gaseous stream in a direction to subject the contents of the retort to cen-' trifugal action.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnes'ses; February 24, 1909'.

WILBUR G. LAIRD.

Witnesses:

E. VAN ZANDT, E. P. LA GAY. 

